Sunday, February 19, 2012

History is the foundation of our culture. It can make us proud or shameful. It can strengthen us and challenge our perspective. Most important history gives us a road map of where we come from and provides important lessons to learn.

Celebrating African American history Month has been an important part of bringing our story to light. After centuries of struggle through slavery, abolition, emancipation, and civil rights, the story of African Americans has just begun to be told. Even while this story begins to unfold, there are people and organizations like the Tea Party who are trying to rewrite history and create their own version of the slavery experience. See the Huffington Post article.

Will truth prevail? The truth will prevail if we pass on the stories and history of African America to our children. The truth will prevail if we support the writers, educators, filmmakers and entrepreneurs who are working to bring our history to light.

CNN has a wonderful story about a project by Lauranett Lee, curator of African American History at the Virginia Historical Society who is working to archive the untold story of slaves in Virginia. Now families can use this information to learn more about their history and trace their genealogy.

February reminds us how dynamic and interesting African American History is. We celebrate our stories and share the lessons with a new generation. Yet we know this is just the beginning of a long but fascinating journey.